But still as IKEA points out LED lighting consumes 85 percent less energy than incandescent lighting, and lasts 20 times longer.So-called light emitting diodes are semiconductors that emit light, so LED lighting can basically turn lighting digital.

IKEA has long been aggressive when it comes to sustainability. IKEA has phased out plastic bags, and has also been putting solar on the roofs of its stores, and now is the company with the 4th most solar capacity in the U.S.

In IKEA’s announcement, they included a survey on LEDs, and it’s clear that people aren’t necessarily all that educated on the benefits of LEDs — well, at least Americans:

• Less than one-half of Americans (43 percent) have at least one LED bulb in their house compared to China (80 percent), Russia (65 percent) and Sweden (61 percent).
• Only 27 percent of people know that these bulbs last 20 years.
• Only one-third (34 percent) of Americans say LED lights provide similar lighting quality to incandescent bulbs, compared to China (77 percent) and Russia (61 percent).

Startups that are innovating around interesting LED technology includeDigital Lumens, Switch, and BridgeLux.

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Uppleva arrived in Ikea’s Stockholm store late last week, and will go on sale in the company’s Berlin Lichtenberg store hand a handfull of stores across Europe on July 2nd. Ikea said earlier this year that it will sell the TV set in select stores in Italy, France, Germany, Poland and Sweden this summer. It will be made more widely available across Europe and also sell online in fall, and reach the U.S. market in 2013.

As part of Uppleva’s launch in Sweden, the company also shared additional technical data, including the following data points about the TV set:

• LED
• Full HD 1080p
• 400 Hz exercise indices (40-46 ’400 Hz MI, 32′ 100 Hz MI, 24 ’50 Hz MI)
• Compatible with MP3 and MP4, DivX HD, and JPEG.
• Inputs: 32-46 “: 4xHDMI, 2xUSB. 24 “: 2xHDMI, 1xUSB.

Ikea’s Swedish website also states that the company will sell a separate 8GB flash memory stick that will allow consumers to record TV shows as well as pause and rewind live programming. Of course 8GB isn’t all that much, so we shouldn’t expect a full-blown TiVo-like DVR functionality – but it could be enough to record your occasional show and not miss anything while going to the bathroom. It also looks like this is just an ordinary USB stick, so consumers might be able to use a higher-capacity flash drive instead.

One detail that’s still unclear is Uppleva’s connectivity: Ikea’s Swedish website states that Wi-fi is built-in, but the accompanying FAQ explains that there will be a Wi-Fi adapter sold separately. It’s possible that the discrepancy can be explained with Wi-Fi not being pre-installed on all models, or the add-on may bring Wi-Fi Direct functionality to the device.

GigaOM was first to report that Uppleva will come with apps for YouTube, Vimeo, Dailymotion, QTom and others.  Last month, we revealed that the TV set will allow consumers to buy things with their remote control through integrated tele-commerce.

Check out a few new pictures of Uppleva below, courtesy of Ikea:

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This kind of tele-commerce could be coming to owners of Ikea’s new Uppleva TV set soon: The TV, which will be available in select European Ikea stores next month, will offer a built-in shopping and payment solution, GigaOM has learned.

The technology, which has been developed by a German company called Connept, will prompt users to press the red button on their Ikea TV’s remote control during select ad spots. The TV will then launch a browser window, prompting registered users to enter a password and confirm their order. Check out this German-language video for a demo of the Connept payment solution:

The exact details of the implementation of Connept on Ikea’s TVs is still unclear. Connept didn’t reply to a request for comment, and the middleware provider that has implemented the technology on the TV sets declined my request for an interview for this story. Ikea itself didn’t respond in time to comment.

However, one could certainly imagine that Ikea could use this kind of technology to build a lasting relationship between its brand and owners of the Uppleva TV set. This could make Uppleva not just Ikea’s entry into the CE market, but also its first foray into a TV-based shopping experience.

Ikea TVs are slated to go on sale in select stores in Europe this month, and then become more widely available throughout the continent later this fall. The company hasn’t released too many technical details about the devices yet, but instead heavily emphasized the design of Uppleva.

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The clip concentrates mostly on the TV’s integration into Ikea’s furniture and the company’s design choices, but also offers a few more technical details. The biggest revelation for anyone wondering how Ikea is going to merge its simple design with the device’s Blu-ray player and Smart TV functionality: The remote control will feature a slide-out keyboard, hiding some of the advanced features in a second layer. Check out the entire video below:

The video also features extensive comments from Uppleva designer Francis Cayouette, who said that he has been very involved in making the Smart TV UI as well. As a side note, Ikea is probably the only company in the world that would include a guy admitting that a product just doesn’t work for him in official promotional footage. Odd, but charming.

Ikea’s Uppleva TV sets are slated to go on sale in select stores in Italy, France, Germany, Poland and Sweden in a few days, and then become more widely available throughout Europe this fall. Uppleva won’t be available in the United States until 2013. We reported earlier this month that the Ikea TV will feature apps for YouTube, Dailymotion and TuneIn Radio, amongst others.

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Some of the other services available on the device will include QTom, a German Vevo competitor and TuneIn radio. Apps will also be available to facilitate music playback, games, VOD and catch-up video playback. Uppleva TVs will also come with an open Web browser, which reportedly is Opera for TV.

Ikea announced its Uppleva TV product, which integrates the TV into living room furniture, in April. However, the company didn’t reveal many details about the inner workings of the device. Here are a few things we have learned since:

• Uppleva will come with an integrated Blu-ray player.
• The TV is being built by China’s TLC.
• It will come with a wireless subwoover.
• Uppleva will be available with screen sizes ranging from 24 inches to 46 inches, and will start selling for around $960.
• Ikea will sell Uppleva in a few select stores in Italy, France, Germany, Poland and Sweden next month, then target additional stores and territories in Europe come fall, and bring Uppleva to the U.S. in 2013.

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Wind energy trade associations representing U.S. and other global companies unveiled rules for getting a WindMade label, which will allow participating businesses worldwide to display their investments in wind energy and hopefully attract more customers in the process. The trade groups also are working on another label, which will be given out with a different set of rules, that will let companies actually slap the WindMade labels on their goods.

The rules for the initial label, which will be open for public comment for the next two months, will require companies to get at least 25 percent of their electricity from wind. Businesses can fill that quota three ways: buy wind power through power purchase agreements, install their own wind turbines, or buy renewable energy credits associated with wind farms. Participants will have to get third-party verification for their wind electricity consumption, and they will pay for related costs.

WindMade proponents plan to finalize the certification rules for the first label this fall.

The idea for WindMade made its public debut earlier this year at a renewable energy conference in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. Vestas Wind Systems in Denmark, the world’s largest wind turbine giant, is the key proponent of the label and started working on the concept last year. The idea is now being promoted by a new nonprofit, also called WindMade, along with organizations such as the American Wind Energy Association, Global Wind Energy Council, and World Wildlife Fund.

“We believe WindMade gives a company a great opportunity to increase renewable and be transparent about what they do which is important for us,” said Stephan Singer, director  of global energy policy, World Wildlife Fund, during the press conference Wednesday.

The rules for getting the WindMade certification went through a review board that included companies such as Walmart, Better Place and Dong Energy, but WindMade promoters declined to say on Wednesday which businesses will sign up to get the label.

Walmart is no stranger to the eco labeling idea. Back in 2009, Walmart announced a plan to assess the carbon footprint of the manufacturers it buys from and stick labels on its merchandise to show the products’ environmental impact. More and more manufacturers are touting their products’ eco-friendly features on the packaging, and this practice has caught the attention of government regulators and stirred skepticism from consumers.

WindMade proponents believe the label program will be a big success and point to a growing number of companies, such as Ikea, that invest in wind energy. It would be a coup if the advocates can get Google to embrace the labeling scheme. Google has become a big investor in wind power plants and has secured the authority to buy and sell wind power in the wholesale market.

Aside from creating labels for wind energy only, the wind trade groups are considering labels that will show a mix of renewable electricity being used by a company. They also are working on a label that can be put on retail products – developing rules for this label will be trickier because issues such as carbon footprint of the various components suppliers will likely have to be considered.

Image courtesy of WindMade

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And the results of said vote have come out this week as part of the three-episode miniseries event Easy to Assemble: Flying Solo. Approximately 20 minutes total, the series, which premiered yesterday, reveals who won the contest while also chronicling the IKEA team’s long flight to IKEA’s homeland. For, while technically the winner, Illeana is being accompanied to Sweden by all of her co-workers where she will, as usual, be upstaged by Justine at every turn.

Watching the complete miniseries, all three episodes of which were made available for review, brought out both the best and the worst of Easy to Assemble as a whole. Always a fantastic showcase for its stars, Douglas, Batemen and the rest of the ensemble cast bring an easy confidence to the extremely simple set-up. Some highlights include: Ed Begley Jr.’s reappearance as the ghost of legendary IKEA inventor S. Erland Hussen, who offers Illeana some much-needed guidance, Justine Bateman stealing every scene that’s not nailed down, and a cool-as-ice Tim Meadows, who is possibly the stand-out performer from these episodes, especially when studying Swedish pick-up lines or complaining about Ingmar Bergman films.

However, the series isn’t flawless, especially when it comes to pace and tone. The miniseries, which is structured in vignettes that take place entirely within the confines of the airplane to Sweden, has several unfortunate moments of drag that keep the episodes from having much momentum — which is unfortunate, given the four-to-eight minute runtime.

Some of that comes from Douglas’s deliberate efforts to create an homage to classic Swedish cinema, due to her obsession with all things Sweden. But even in a Bergman film, things do tend to happen, and an even slightly higher sense of drama would go a long way towards keeping the on-screen dynamics engaging. Flying Solo is a nice way to reconnect with the Easy to Assemble crew, but hopefully the third season will feature a little more plot.

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That change left me with one problem I hadn’t anticipated, though. My office wouldn’t function as well with a laptop as my primary computer. I had to rethink the whole layout. How did just changing from a desktop PC to a smaller MacBook manage to make my office totally dysfunctional?

Utilizing a keyboard tray and a small tower (especially one not stored on the desk), a desktop computer has a relatively small footprint on a desk compared to a laptop computer. In my case, I kept the monitor to use as an external monitor for my new MacBook, so that still used space. The only desktop space I cleared out was the footprint of the slimline CPU tower. The back of my narrow desk was cluttered with items like an external hard drive and my phone. Even with the CPU gone, I could barely wedge my MacBook onto the desk’s surface.

Having a laptop as my primary computer also left me wanting something I’d never wanted in my office before: a sitting area. I like using my laptop as, well, a laptop, when I don’t feel the need for the second monitor or other desk functions. I find it is more ergonomically comfortable, and I concentrate better. A comfy chair and ottoman in my office would mean that I wouldn’t have to use the living room couch with its attendant distractions to work laptop-style.

It took some creativity but I figured out how to relieve the desktop congestion and fit a sitting area in the room.

The first key was angling my desk into a corner and filling the “dead space” that was created behind it with the printer cart to create more desk surface area. (The wireless printer itself moved into my husband’s office.) This let me push the backup hard drive back off of the main desktop, and I can also push the phone and other external devices back there when I need the desk space.

The middle shelf of the cart holds two plastic containers that function as “drawers”, for computer cleaning supplies and office supplies. The bottom shelf holds my power strip and battery back-up unit, keeping them off of the dusty carpet.

Moving the printer cart, along with archiving files and retiring a file cabinet, created enough open space to create my sitting area. A hand-me-down chair along with an Ikea ottoman and lamp created my second, more casual, work area. As I sit there, I have a power strip and my file cabinet to my right. On my left is my reference bookcase.

Some other nice features that the new layout added:

• The second monitor can be turned to be visible from the scrapbook table next to my work desk.
• Switching my desk to the other side of the room’s window improved my view.
• My scrapbook supplies are in my line of vision more often, reminding this workaholic to take a break and relax more often.

Still on my wishlist for my new space is a second MacBook power cord that can be left permanently at my desk while I have the other one for mobile use.

Have you switched to a laptop as your primary computer? What workspace adjustments did you have to make?

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What tools can you use for planning a home office build?

Graph paper and pencil

I used this technique while planning furniture purchases for our rather small living room. You decide on a suitable scale, measure the room and then plot it on the paper: the walls, doors, any immovable objects and useful things like power outlets:

My living room plotted on graph paper

You can then cut out shapes that correspond to the dimensions of the furniture that you’re considering purchasing or building, and then see how it fits into the room.

While I really enjoy the “hands on” nature of working with pencil and paper, it doesn’t help you visualize your space in 3-D. With the more complex build I’ll need for my home office I’ll need something that lets me plan the space in three dimensions, which brings us neatly on to our next two tools.

Ikea Planner

If you’re planning on using Ikea office furniture (don’t mock — a couple of the great spaces I covered last week were constructed largely using Ikea furniture), then grab the Ikea Planner, a free (Windows-only) download. The tool enables you to plot out your room — including windows, doors, heating, electrical points etc. — in a 2D plan. You can then populate the room with Ikea furniture. Finally, switch to a 3D view to get a full visualization. You can even get a shopping list to print out and estimate the cost.

Ikea Planner

Ikea Planner is very easy to use, but it’s not flexible, and not very useful if you’re not using Ikea furniture.

Google Sketchup

Google Sketchup is a free, 3-D modeling package, available for Windows and Mac. Because it’s more complicated than paper or the Ikea Planner, there’s a learning curve to overcome, particularly if you haven’t used any 3-D modeling software before. However, as a full modeling package it’s much more flexible than either of the above options, and if you’re planning on building something complicated, it’s well worth the effort of getting to know it. There are plenty of training materials and a helpful community to get you going. You can even share the models that you create with others in a “3-D Warehouse”; there are lots of models available to use a starting point.

Google Sketchup

I think I’ll be using Google Sketchup to plan my build.

What tools did you use for planning your home office?

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